Bruce Buffer said Dillon Dannis should stay banned from UFC events after the brawl at Madison Square Garden, and he made clear he has no patience for repeat troublemakers. The longtime ring announcer said Danis caused enough chaos in the stands during the incident involving Islam Makhachev's team to justify keeping him away from the promotion.
Buffer has been the UFC ring announcer since 1996 and said he has done the job for 31 years, long enough to have seen the sport's most volatile moments spill far beyond the cage. He recalled being at the Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor fight when Khabib jumped over the cage, and he said he also watched a major brawl break out after UFC 13, when Tank Abbott was hit across the face by Wallid Ismail at an after-party.
That is why Buffer did not hesitate when asked about Danis. “Dylan’s banned. Dylan should be banned. It seems every time Dylan goes somewhere, he causes trouble, so there’s no reason for him to be anywhere near us. I have no problem saying that,” he said. The comment lands with extra weight because UFC is heading back to Madison Square Garden on Saturday, bringing fresh attention to the last time Danis was in that building and to how quickly a fight card can be overshadowed by what happens off the canvas.
Buffer’s view also came with a sharp contrast. He said he was “sorry to see” that Merab Dvalishvili got fined after a separate Abu Dhabi incident, but added that the incident was not Dvalishvili’s fault. Last week, Dvalishvili was jumped by MMA free agent Usman Nurmagomedov in a hotel lobby in Abu Dhabi, and after that incident Usman Nurmagomedov and his crew were sentenced to six months in prison. It is the sort of detail that shows how these disputes keep crossing from one event to another, with punishment sometimes landing on people Buffer says did not start the fight.
Buffer also described the habits he has picked up from decades around mixed martial arts brawls. “When I’m in a brawl like that, I get my back to a wall so you only have to worry about who’s in front of you. Everybody’s going at it. Always keep your back protected and know where your exit is. Know where your six is. Just watch. But things happen,” he said. Saturday’s return to Madison Square Garden will not answer every question about discipline and security around UFC nights, but it will test whether the promotion can keep the noise outside the arena from becoming the story again.
